


Day Thirty-Seven || Country Field

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [37]
Category: Naruto, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Animal Death, Blood and Gore, F/M, Gen, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 21:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17691809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: Why can't things just go smoothly for once? All they needed was another horse, NOT another battle. As if Sasuke needs another reason to worry about her.





	Day Thirty-Seven || Country Field

He didn’t sign up for this journey to become some sort of hero. All Sasuke wanted was what he was promised: for the light mage to heal his brother. But that quickly turned into some harebrained scheme to drag them halfway across the continent to her people’s abandoned capital.

Which means weeks of travel.

And they’re only about one set of seven days through it when major trouble finds them.

They’ve just cleared the edge of a forest, emerging from the sun-dappled road obscured by boughs to the full light of a country road. The path slopes downward toward a modest village, surrounded by fields of crops and cattle alike. At the fore is the light mage astride her grey mare, Itachi just behind her on a dark bay gelding lent by their father for the journey. Having abandoned her own family to join them, Hinata sits with Sasuke atop his black steed, much to his chagrin. Apparently they’re to find her her own mount here, finally finding a town with a proper livery.

“So, how are you to pay for this steed?” Sasuke then bothers to ask. “Did you really bring enough coin for something like that?”

“I brought all my savings. Which...isn’t a fortune, but I hope it will be enough. If not…” The fledgling water mage reaches into her neckline to pull out a silver chain. A moonstone and sapphire depict the night sky and crescent moon along the apex. “I may be able to trade this.”

“What is it?”

“It was my mother’s. She gave it to me the night we fled the city, a few days before she -”

Their conversation, however, is cut short as a great bellow sounds from the valley below. All three horses spook, dancing in place on the roadway as the group tries to spot the source of the sound. “What was that?!”

“I don’t know, it sounded like -”

From the treeline far to their left, the sound erupts again...this time followed by the crashing of trees. From among them stumbles a cyclops.

“Oh  _ twelve _ ,” Sasuke swears under his breath, gripping the reins and attempting to calm his gelding.

Wielding an uprooted young tree as a makeshift club, the creature takes a few steps to gather its bearings, blinking its large eye in the sudden sunlight. Once adjusted, it gives another roar, holding up the weapon and charging toward town.

Crying for action, the light mage kicks heels into her mare and plunges down the road, Itachi soon following.

“Hang on…!” Sasuke mutters, urging his mount into a swift gallop. “I need you to jump off once we’re near town, then I’ll swing back and try to head that thing off.”

“What about me? Can’t I help?”

“You barely know how to wield your element,” he cuts in. “You’ll spend more time getting in my way than anything else.”

“But -!”

“But nothing! I’ve slain beasts before. This will be no different. I’m sure the Luxerian disciple will need help calming the townsfolk. You can handle that.”

His brother precedes them  into town, Sasuke wheeling his gelding around at the gate. “Get off!”

Thankfully Hinata complies, and then he’s off again like a shot.

For now, the giant humanoid finds itself distracted by the town’s cattle. The beasts run in fear, bellowing and making for their barns. One isn’t quite fast enough, crushed into the earth by the creature’s club with a shower of dirt and one last bleat of terror.

Sasuke grimaces, but...at least it wasn’t a human. Drawing his bow from his back, he knocks an arrow and summons flame to the head. It sings through the air with a twang of the string, landing its mark in the brute’s brow as he examines his kill. A roar of pain echoes through the valley, reeling back and swiping at the bolt to brush the shaft and feathers aside. Small splatters of blood arc as he tosses his head.

“This way you fat bastard!” Sasuke calls, already drawing another arrow from his quiver. It too alights and arcs to land in a shoulder.

Now blinded with rage, the one-eyed beast gives another cry and begins charging across the country field, swinging its tree in hand. Baiting it back south, Sasuke keeps his mount at a pace to maintain its attention. Arrows, he knows, won’t take this thing down - he’d need a hundred quivers before they’d begin to kill it. He has neither that, nor the time. His horse can’t run forever.

But neither can the cyclops.

Built for brute strength, not speed or stamina, it’s not long before its breaths labor. All Sasuke needs is for it to stagger and fall. If it’s on the ground, he can get his sword to its throat. Thankfully there’s a river along the vale’s spine he can probably use to slow it further.

Before that can happen, however, Sasuke pales as he turns around from taking another shot. Having ignored his command, Hinata stands along the water’s far edge, looking both determined and terrified.

“What in the twelve hells are you doing?!” he screams. “GET OUT OF HERE!”

But rather than listen, her hands raise, aglow with a deep blue light. The rapids begin to roll in greater turmoil, bubbling and raging against the bank.

“You don’t know what you’re doing! You’re just gonna -!”

Having kept his eyes from his target too long, Sasuke yelps as a particularly close stomp rocks his steed’s footing, causing it to topple over with a squeal. The beast is only a few steps behind him now, closing in fast.

Rolling to his back, Sasuke’s eyes go wide. Palms lift, sparking with energy before streaming flames at his foe. Its legs are caught in the blast, instantly burning as it cries in pain. The distraction spares his horse, the giant running forward blindly on its own momentum.

Right for Hinata.

“NO!” Helpless as he tries to scramble to his feet, Sasuke stops as surprise stills him. 

Now stone-faced with calm, Hinata finally unleashes the built-up energy in the river. Tendrils of water whip like living vines, all reaching for the beast at her command. They snatch his flailing limbs, roiling about his legs and hissing against the heat of Sasuke’s lingering fire. Like a mountain he topples with a crash that rattles Sasuke’s bones, just on the other side of the river. More and more water abandons the banks at Hinata’s calling, until he’s completely encased. Weighed down, his struggles are slow, cries unheard and forming bubbles of wasted air. Despite his flailing, the element overwhelms him...and the giant drowns upon the bank.

Silence.

Only once she’s sure the creature is dead does Hinata release her spell, crashing to her knees as the water recedes back into the flow.

Sasuke stares.

Cries then echo from town, a great crowd emerging to see the fallen spectacle. Among them, the light mage fends off onlookers from Hinata, helping her gently to her feet.

Sasuke’s gelding then noses at his temple, drawing his gaze and begetting a remount. Together they cross the water to the other mages.

Looking more than a little dazed at her sudden drop in energy, Hinata leans upon her white-haired companion. “I...I told you I could help.”

“You damn near got yourself  _ killed _ \- this isn’t something to celebrate!”

Before they can argue further, the town’s mayor pushes his way toward them, asking how they can be repaid for slaying the monster. He looks to Sasuke...who pauses, and then jerks his head.

“...she’s the one who killed it, not I. Give her the reward.”

The next morning they leave town with full supplies, and not three, but four horses, Hinata astride a palomino mare. Sasuke eyeballs it critically.

“...what?”

“There won’t be any hiding her, that’s for certain...but I suppose we already have a grey that stands out,” he mutters.

“Well we can’t  _ all _ be riding black horses,” she sniffs in reply. “I think she’s beautiful.”

“She’s nice. Good confirmation, solid build...but also bright as a campfire.”

Leaning forward in her saddle, Hinata weaves fingers through the mount’s flaxen mane. “I think I’ll call her...Aurarius.”

“...fitting.” Silence falls for a time before he offers, “You really  _ were _ foolish yesterday.”

“I know. But you needed help.”

“I was doing fine -”

“Until he knocked you on the ground!”

“Because I was too focused on you!”

Dark brows disappear up under her fringe.

“You...you were right in the way - I thought you were going to get yourself trampled.” Sasuke gathers up his reins in a gesture of irritation, earning a toss of his gelding’s head. “...and you were lucky. We’ve not had much time to train you in using your ven yet. It could have failed you if you’d hesitated, or lacked the strength to do what you intended.”

“Well...it turned out fine.”

“Just...promise me you won’t do that again.”

Red eyes stare into pale blue before she heaves a sigh, looking ahead. “...fine. But you have to also promise to teach me more. So I’m ready. And then I  _ can _ do that again.”

The igni mage deadpans. “...fine.”

Hopefully, they won’t be running into any more terrorized towns any time soon, and he won’t have anything to worry about.

**Author's Note:**

> This is late again, I'm so sorry - today was VERY stressful irl, and I couldn't find a chance to write until late...and even then had trouble focusing due to stress. But at least it's done!
> 
> A piece in my original fantasy verse! I don't get to write this one too often, but it's a lot of fun to cross Naruto with. And it's good practice and helps with world / lore building, ahaha!
> 
> Sasuke is, of course, a fire mage...and Hinata water. Opposites in almost every way, but...you know what they say about opposites!
> 
> Anyway, on that note, I really must call it a night, I'm exhausted. Hopefully tomorrow will be better, and I can get my drabble done at a better hour! Regardless, thanks so much for reading~


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